Abstract

Purpose – This article aims to explore public-public partnership issues arising when public sectororganisations work together in order to deliver a new government sponsored initiative.Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative approach was adopted for this study, employingin-depth interviews across four UK case study sites. The rich qualitative data gathered from theseinterviews is analysed utilising a thematic framework.Findings – The findings indicate that most of the participants did not feel that they were involved ina partnership and had little or no contact with their partner. The key role of inter-personalrelationships amongst individual members is emphasised.Research limitations/implications – The findings presented represent the pilot sites utilised in agovernment sponsored initiative. As future public-public partnerships develop, further researchshould be undertaken to explore this phenomenon and establish the generalisability of these findings.Practical implications – The study indicates that while there are clear benefits of partnershipworking, achieving successful collaboration is not straightforward. Improvements need to be made todevelop partnerships using both formal and informal communication methods.Originality/value – This paper demonstrates the importance of the relationships between, andperceptions of, personnel at an individual level in the success of public-public partnerships.

Interagency coordination -- Great Britain, Partnership -- Great Britain, Qualitative research, Public administration -- Great Britain, Great Britain. Dept. for Work and Pensions, Great Britain. Dept. of Health